Apparatus for laying concrete planks with exposed aggregate top and edge surfaces

ABSTRACT

A MOVABLE FRAME EQUIPPED FOR TRAVEL LENGTHWISE OF A CONCRETE PLANK BEING FORMED, AND HAVING HOOPERS FOR DISCHARGE OF CONCRETE IN LAYERS, ONE OVER THE OTHER, WITH THE TOP LAYER BEING FORMED OF EXPOSED AGGREGATE TO PROVIDE AN ORNAMENTAL SURFACE EFFECT, THERE BEING BAFFLING MEANS FOR KEEPING A NARROW, LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING ZONE ADJACENT ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF THE PLANK FREE OF THE LOWER LAYERS OF CONCRETE, AND THERE BEING MEANS FOR THEREAFTER DIVERTING SOME OF THE AGGREGATE MATERIAL INTO SAID LONGITUDINAL ZONE TO FILL THE LATTER SO AS TO ALSO PROVIDE AN ORNAMENTAL SURFACE EFFECT UPON A LONGITUDINAL EDGE   OF THE PLANK, AND THERE BEING A VIBRATOR FOR ACTING ON THE MATERIAL IN SAID NARROW ZONE.

R. H. NAGY 3,566,490 APPARATUS FOR LAYING CONCRETE PLANKS WITH EXPOSEDMarch 2, 1971 AGGREGATE TOP AND EDGE SURFACES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJune 10, 1968 INVENTOR ROBERT H. NAGY ATTORNEYS March 19-71 R. H. NAGY3,566,490 v APPARATUS FOR LAYING CONCRETE PLANKS WI TH EXPOSED AGGREGATEIOP AND EDGE SURFACES Filed June 10, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEZNTOR 47ROBERT H. NAGY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 01 Patented Mar. 2, 1971hce APPARATUS FOR LAYING CONCRETE PLANKS WITH EXPOSED AGGREGATE TOP ANDEDGE SURFACES Robert H. Nagy, 1720 Arrowhead Court, Brookfield, Wis.53005 Filed June 10, 1968, Ser. No. 735,899 Int. Cl. B28b 7/00 US. Cl.25-41 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A movable frame equipped fortravel lengthwise of a concrete plank being formed, and having hoppersfor discharge of concrete in layers, one over the other, with the toplayer being formed of exposed aggregate to provide an ornamental surfaceeffect, there being baflling means for keeping a narrow,longitudinally-extending zone adjacent one longitudinal edge of theplank free of the lower layers of concrete, and there being means forthereafter diverting some of the aggregate material into saidlongitudinal zone to fill the latter so as to also provide an ornamentalsurface effect upon a longitudinal edge of the plank, and there being avibrator for acting on the material in said narrow zone.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present inventionpertains to apparatus for forming reinforced multi-layer concreteplanks, and is particularly concerned with the formation of plankshaving an ornamental surface effect produced by exposed aggregatematerial.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Heretofore it has been proposed tomanufacture reinforced multi-layer concrete planks by use of a movableframe which travels lengthwise along the plank being formed and whichhas hoppers arranged to discharge concrete in layers, one over another,the frame being equipped with suitable tamping members. This generaltype of apparatus is shown in Sch'alfer Pat. No. 1,920,716 and also inNagy Pat. No. 3,382,304. Heretofore with this type of machine aggregatematerial has, on occasions, been used in the hopper for the top layer toproduce an ornamental surface effect on the planks. This type ofornamental plank is customarily used for building exteriors and is oftenpositioned so that the planks extend vertically. Heretofore this hascreated a problem at the corners of the building, inasmuch as theunornamented longitudinal edge of one of the meeting planks at a cornerwould be exposed. Inasmuch as this edge was not covered with aggregate,an undesirable appearance effect was produced at the corners.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides, in a machinefor laying concrete planks, a novel arrangement for keeping alongitudinal zone adjacent a longitudinal edge of a plank which is beingformed, free of the material which is being discharged to form the lowerand intermediate layers of concrete of the plank, there being meansadjacent the trailing hopper for diverting some of the aggregatematerial, which is to form the exposed aggregate layer, into saidlongitudinal zone to fill the latter, so as to automatically provide anornamental surface effect along a longitudinal edge of the plank inaddition to the ornamental surface effect which is being provided by theexposed aggregate layer on the top of the plank.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a concrete planklaying machine a novel arrangement including bathing means formaintaining a narrow, longitudinal zone, along a longitudinal edge ofthe plank, free of concrete which is being discharged for the lower andintermediate layers, and to provide an auxiliary hopper for filling saidzone with aggregate material like that forming the top surface layer, tothereby produce an ornamental effect on the edge of the plank.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine as abovedescribed in which there is novel means for diverting some of theaggregate material flowing from the hopper for the top layer of theplank into the auxiliary hopper.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an apparatus asabove described, novel means for creating a vibrating effect on thematerial as it is being diverted into the narrow edge zone.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus as abovedescribed which may be readily incorporated in a conventional concreteplank laying machine with but minor modification.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of theimproved apparatus for laying concrete planks with exposed aggregate topand edge surfaces, and all of its parts and combinations, as set forthin the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing, illustrating onecomplete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, wherein thesame reference numerals designate the same or similar parts in all ofthe views:

FIG. 1 is a partially diagrammatic side elevational view of the improvedmachine, parts being broken away;

' FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 22 of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line44 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through ornamentedconcrete planks laid at the corner of a building.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring more particularly tothe drawings, first to FIG. 1, the numeral 20 designates a floor or bedon which the concrete plank is to be laid. The numeral 21 designatesgenerally the apparatus for manufacturing the hollow core concreteplanks. This apparatus includes a first hopper 22 for the mix ofconcrete which is to form the bottom layer of the concrete plank, saidhopper having a bottom opening 23. There is also a middle hopper 24 fora mix of concrete which is to form the middle layer, said hopper 24having a bottom opening 25. In addition, there is a hopper 26 for theconcrete which is to form the top layer, which hopper is adapted todischarge through a chute 27 into another hopper 28 leading to adischarge section 29 having a bottom opening 30.

As is well known in apparatus of this type, and as fully described inSchafer Pat. No. 1,920,716, the ap paratus 21 is suitably mounted formovement in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 so thatmultiple layers of a plank may be progressively poured as the apparatusis moved, there being core elements 31 which comprise hollow elongatedtubes having tapered noses 32. The core-forming tubes 31 are adapted toplow through the freshly-poured concrete, the elements 31 being suitablysuspended, for short longitudinal reciprocating strokes, from a support33, there being provision of known apparatus for longitudinallyreciprocating the core elements as they are moved through the concreteof the middle layer As is customary with apparatus of this type, and

as fully described in Young Pat. No. 2,962,785, there are pretensionedwires 34 in the bottom layer (see FIG. and there are preliminary tampers35 and 36 which are suitably supported for tamping movement and whichpreferably have a scalloped or grooved lower surface, as fully describedin Young Pat. No. 2,962,785, for forming ridges 37 over the wires asshown in FIG. 5, which ridges extend in the same direction as the wires.The tamping members 35 and 36 also preferably have spaced compactingsurfaces 38 forming valleys for receiving the lower portions of the coreelements 31.

Suitably supported for tamping motion at the rear of the dischargeopening 25 of the hopper for the middle mix is a tamper 39 which is ofconventional construction and which also serves as a flow control forthe middle hopper 24.

Rearwardly of the hopper 24 are additional tampers 40 and 41, as fullydescribed in my Pat. No. 3,382,304, dated May 7, 1968. Rearwardly of thetamper 41 is a tamper 42 suitably supported for vibrating or tampingmotion.

In the conventional machine described in the Young Pat. No. 2,962,785,the top layer of concrete deposited by the hopper 28 is a finishinglayer of relatively fine concrete which is smoothed by reciprocatedtrowels on the machine. The present invention is concerned with plankswhich have an exposed aggregate top layer (see layer 71, FIG. 5). In anexposed aggregate type of plank the material in the hopper 26 usuallycomprises white cement (instead of grey), white sand (instead ofordinary sand), and colored quartz, glass or aggregate (instead ofconventional gravel), which for convenience of description will bereferred to as exposed aggregate. When manufacturing a plank surfacedwith exposed aggregate on a machine of this general type, after theplank is laid, the top is sprayed with a chemical to retard the settingof the concrete for about Ms" inwardly from the surface. Twenty-fourhours or so later this unset concrete is brushed off leaving the roughornamental surface which is being termed an exposed aggregate surface.

Heretofore plank laying machines have only been capable of applying thelayer of colored aggregate material to the top of the plank. This,however, has created problems in use. When the planks are laidvertically at the corner of a building there is always an edge of one ofthe planks at the corner which has no ornamental surfacing. In the pastit has been necessary to suitably cover such edge with an angle strip orthe like. It is the principal purpose of the present invention toprovide apparatus for laying planks which provides not only an exposedaggregate top surface but which also provides an exposed aggregate edgesurface, as at 43 (FIG. 5). Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, when the planksare laid at a corner, using one of the planks made by the presentapparatus, there is an exposed aggregate ornamental surface all the wayaround the corner, and there is no need to cover a plain edge as washeretofore the practice.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the master plate 44 fromwhich the cores 31 are suspended also carries a longitudinal dividerstrip 45 in a position spaced inwardly from the special temporary woodor metal side form 46. This thus provides a longitudinal zone 47extending along an edge of the plank 48 being formed, which zone is keptfree of the deposit of concrete from the first hopper 22 and middlehopper 24. In order to accomplish this purpose the side of the hopper 22has a baffle plate 49 hinged thereto as at 50. An angle member 51 isbolted as at 52 to the side of the hopper with the bolts extendingthrough a slot 53. By loosening the bolts 52 the angle member may bemoved up or down in the slot to adjust the position of the lower edge ofthe baffle 49. The bafile prevents concrete descending in the hopper 22from entering the longitudinal zone 47. This arrangement is the same asthat illustrated in FIG. 4 for the hopper 24 which will be described indetail hereinafter.

4 In the lower end of the hopper 24 there is a similarly arranged bafile54 hinged in the same manner as the bafile 49 of FIG. 4 and maintainedin suitable adjusted position by an. angle member 44 corresponding tothe angle member 51 of the hopper 22, which is adjustably se-.

cured by bolts 56 operable in a slot 57. In FIG. 1 of the drawing, inorder to prevent hiding of parts, only a short fragment of the specialtemporary wood or metal side form 46 has been shown, it being understoodthat this form extends the length of the bed. Also, only a short lengthof the divider strip 45 has been illustrated, it being understood thatthe strip 45 extends forwardly beyond the front of the hopper 22 andrearwardly to the rear end of the machine.

As an important part of the present invention, one end of the chute 27(FIG, 1) is equipped with a swingable gate 58 hinged as at 59 (see FIG.2). As aggregate material descends from the hopper 26 some of it isintercepted by the swingable gate 58 so that it is diverted into theupper end of an auxiliary hopper 60. The latter hopper is locatedforwardly of the top layer hopper 28. The hopper 60 has a lower chuteportion 61 positioned to discharge material into the free zone 47between the side form 46 and the divider plate 45. Thus as the machinetravels, the zone 47 is filled with aggregate material throughout itsdepth to form the aggregate layer 43 on an edge of the plank, as shownin FIG. 5.

As shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, suspended from the auxiliaryhopper 60, on a hinge 63, is an upright support 64 for a bracket 65, thelatter carrying a vibrator 66. Extending transversely of the inner endof the bracket 65 is a bar 67 forming a mounting for rollers 68. Withthis arrangement, as the aggregate is being directed into the zone 47,the vibrator 66 acts on the rollers 68 to transmit vibrating motionagainst the side form 46 so as to vibrate the material being depositedinto the zone 47 and cause it to be properly compacted.

SUMMARY OF OPERATION In use of the improved apparatus, as the machine 21travels in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 1, longitudinally of theplank which is being formed, concrete from the hopper 22 is deposited onthe bed 20 to form the bottom layer 69 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 which layer islaid over the reinforcing wires 34. This bottom layer is engaged by thetampers 35 and 36 which have bottom surfaces shaped to form thedepressions 38 for receiving the cores, and also shaped to formlongitudinal ridges 37 over the wires. As the machine progresses, thehopper 24 deposits the middle layer 70 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) and thislayer is tamped by the tampers 39, 40 and 41. During this movement thebafiles 49 and 54 act in conjunction with the auxiliary side form 45 tokeep the longitudinal zone 47 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) free of theconcrete which forms the bottom and middle layers. Depending upon thespacing between the divider strip 45 and the special temporary wood ormetal side form 46, the gate 58 of FIG. 2 is adjusted to divert enoughof the aggregate material fiowing from the hopper 26 into the auxiliaryhopper 60 to fill the zone 47 as the machine travels along. At the sametime the vibrators 66, acting through the rollers 68, imparts avibrating motion to the aggregate in the edge zone 47, therebycompacting exposed aggregate in zone 47. The rest of the aggregatematerial from the hopper 26 is directed on top of the intermediate layerto form the top layer 71 (FIG. 5). As before mentioned, this layerusually comprises white cement (instead of grey), white sand (instead ofordinary sand), and colored quartz, glass or aggregate (instead ofgravel). This is the same material which is deposited in the zone 47 toform the exposed aggregate coating 43 along a longitudinal edge of theplank. After the plank has been formed, it is usual practice to spraythe aggregate surface 71 on top with a suitable chemical to retard thesetting for about 4 inch inwardly. The temporary side form 46 isprecoated with a surface type retarder to retard the setting for aboutinch inwardly from the edge 43. Within a period of twenty-four hoursthis unset concrete is brushed away, leaving the rough ornamentalsurface on both the top and on the side edge.

Inasmuch as these particular planks are usually only employed forcorners of the building, they are usually used in conjunction withplanks which have no aggregate coating at the edges, such as the lefthand plank of FIG. 5. When laying these planks to form the corners of abuilding, usually on the outside, it is apparent from FIG. 5 that thecotaed edge 43 provides for continuity of the ornamental surface eifectall the way around the corner.

Should there be any situations requiring an ornamental eifect on bothedges of the plank, as well as on the top surface, this can readily beaccomplished by duplicating the mechanism on the other side of themachine.

The machine of FIG. 1 may be readily placed back in service for formingconventional planks by removing the divider strip 45, by swinging thegate 58 of FIG. 2 to the right so that the material is no longerdiverted, and by shutting off the vibrator 66 and replacing the standardside form and first core.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as maycome within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a movable machine for manufacturing multilayer concrete planks bythe discharge of concrete onto a bed having side forms, said machinehaving hopper means for discharging concrete which is to form the mainplank structure onto said bed, means for maintaining alongitudinally-extending outermost zone adjacent a side form free ofconcrete for said main plank structure, means including a hopper fordischarging ornamental material onto the concrete forming said mainplank structure to provide an ornamental top layer, and means fordischarging ornamental material into said outermostlongitudinally-extending zone to provide exposed ornamental surfacing ona longitudinal edge of the plank.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for dischargingornamental material into said longitudinally-extending zone includesmeans for diverting some of the ornamental material from the ornamentalmaterial hopper.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which there is an auxiliary hopperinto which some of said ornamental material is diverted, said auxiliaryhopper having a spout positioned to discharge into saidlongitudinally-extending zone.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the means for dischargingornamental material to provide an ornamental top layer includes a chutehaving a side adjacent said auxiliary hopper, and a swingable gate onsaid side of the chute for selectively controlling the diversion ofmaterial out of said side of the chute into said auxiliary hopper.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which there is a divider stripcarried by the movable machine in a position spaced a short distanceinwardly from a side form to provide the longitudinally-extending zone,and in which there is bafiie means in the hopper means which containsconcrete for the main structure for preventing said concrete fromentering said longitudinally-extending zone.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which said baffie means isadjustable.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which there is means fortransmitting vibrations to the side form which is on a side of saidoutermost longitudinally-extending zone.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which said vibration-transmittingmeans includes a carriage swingably suspended from the movable machineand having wheels positioned to ride along said side form, there being avibrator on said carriage.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which the carriage is suspendedfrom that portion of the movable machine where the ornamental materialis discharged into said outermost longitudinally-extending zone.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the means for divertingsome of the ornamental material includes an adjustable gate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,962,785 12/1960 Young 2542X3,177,552 4/1965 Roth et al. 25-l03X 3,217,375 11/1965 Kinnard 25-103X3,382,304 5/1968 Nagy 264-70 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner D. W.JONES, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 264-70

